February 2025
It’s a winter report from Greco this time. One of flower pots, marmalade and a lost car key saga. Last first. What I’ve learned is don’t lock your car door and don’t lose your keys when you only have one. Two weeks and 2 days without keys, dealing with a lease company who’ve stopped replying to emails and have ‘no agents available’. The “policy” is unhelpful as meets my inability to find a locksmith to break into my car though the fun bit was being patronised by the recovery driver who wanted to know where the keys were so he could put it on his truck. And me explaining that if I knew where the keys were I wouldn’t need him. Anyway we’re friends now and I sill need a locksmith. Though it might be easier if I had the key code. My neighbour may have cracked the policy but its a bit hit and miss. Fortunately Anne K Scott arrived as a modern knight in shining armour so I’m not completely marooned in Magoulades. The glass ceiling on miracles hasn’t quite been hit yet.
Claudia van de Kamp keeps on stirring and painting. We have more lemons and bitter oranges than we know what to do with., so she’s made Mandala Marmalade. And then we had the idea of painting the upstairs walls pink and its beginning to transform from a greying white to soft pinks. Years ago I bought these prints of a 100 Years of Solitude from a friends mum who’d gone to art school in retirement. I’d always loved the book and these soft water colour prints are so beautiful. And isn’t the Netflix series astonishing? Leena and I watched that in January after getting together to work on getting a version of my book ready to send to a queer agent in the US who asked to see the full manuscript after I did live pitching. I pressed the Submit button on 31st Jan and its up to the divine now. I also sent off my first 50 pages to another agent on request. Let us pray.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to the crowd funder, or paid for rooms in advance. It's made a real difference to the anxiety of the winter months. Besides buying plants pot and pink paint, It’s helped to pay various basics this month, such as the glamour of having the shit tank emptied and the really slow wifi bill. Having a soak-away system here, means we can put paper as well as the pooh down the loos which is unusual for Greece. Super fast wifi is in no danger of arriving soon in a village of a few hundred elderly citizens and I’m grateful for that, so no chance of digital nomads or meta employees making their home here. There’s power cuts every so often and I kinda like the imperative to go out.
And thrill of thrills we had a kinky night in Corfu Town seeing BabyGirl and having a Negroni at the classic Puppet Bar. It’s the most erotic moment I’ve had here, with pulses of recognition for times past, and sadness for what I miss, as the characters negotiated their way through consent experimentally and often sweetly. It’s amazing to be recognised, to have what you need or want to experience.
One day I’ll post more pictures of the rest of Corfu or Greece. I long for that too. For now this quieter time is valuable to focus, to sleep in occasionally and to enjoy the spring sunlight making bigger and bigger patches in the front courtyard. It’s warmer out than in. I’m clearing space in the garden, wondering whether the ash, citrus peels, food scraps, weeds and last years lilies will work to make a no-dig bed with layers of cardboard and seaweed and soil. Let’s see.
The latest constellation on the carousel at Mandala is about to come to a close. And we have new bold Yves Klein blue shutters.. another miracle of intention and practicality. As the incroyable French arrival Denis Baillot, with careful precision and patience measured up doors and the situation and has painstakingly sanded, cleaned, rebuilt, and painted. The green peely paint is no more and we’re good for the next 5 years.
I’ve been back to the hardware shop more than I ever imagined necessary for brackets, screws white spirit and bits of wood. God I’ve come to love the woodyard, and the scent of sawdust, precision and testosterone fuelled care.
Gayatri Room has turned orange and Shiva now has a blue wall under the careful paintbrush of Claudia. Slowly, slowly colour is taking over and it’s fantastic when friends arrive who knew the house before and love the difference.
Christina-Dorothea, Denis and I share dinners in Franglais, Google translate in hand, cooking for each other and feeling the nurture. It’s fantastic to eat ratatouille and rosti, not to mention sneaky glasses of lunchtime wine ( I blame the frenchman), as we began to be a bit sociable amidst the new year questions of what to create. Tres Bonne.
I saw this from Seth Godin and it’s got me thinking about what’s easy and where a preference for risk helps create the previously impossible or unthinkable.
“Decisions are easy, choices are hard.
A good decision is our best analysis of the facts, options and risks. If it’s too close to call, flip a coin, because it’s too close to call.
On the other hand, a choice involves understanding our priorities, evaluating our preference for risk and sometimes, changing our minds. None of these are easy. If we face a difficult choice, it’s helpful to stop thinking about it as a decision. It’s a choice. Decisions are strategic, choices are personal”
So the latest risk is a GoFundMe for Mandala. Anything you would be willing to chip in would be appreciatively spent. Yes, No and Maybe are all wonderful responses. I’m aware of the excess of kindnesses I’ve received and many ways people have already supported this crazy vision.
Pics of the transformed front door and more to follow. Denis made a hero’s journey from Montelimar on trains buses and boats. I can’t tell you how satisfying it is to see each shuttered window appearing - as for the blue door - it’s thrilling. I’ll put the current simple website in the chat and intend to share what’s already changed on 14th February. We’ve been on it.
